The short answer
You do not have to use your insurer's approved or recommended repairer. In the UK the choice of who fixes your car is yours, whether the accident was your fault or not. Your insurer can suggest their own network, but they cannot force you to use it.
Why it is worth choosing for yourself
An approved network suits the insurer, because the garages on it work to the insurer's prices and turnaround targets. That is fine, but it is not always the same as what is best for you and your car. When you choose an independent shop, the only people we answer to are you and the standard of the repair.
We are not tied to any insurer, so there is no quota to hit and no corner being cut to keep someone else happy. We just put the car right.
How it works with us
- Report the claim to your insurer and tell them you want OH Works in Fairford to carry out the repair.
- Send us the details. Give us your claim number and insurer, and a few photos of the damage if you can.
- We deal with the insurer. We agree the work and the costs with them directly, so you are not stuck on hold.
- We repair the car to a high standard, with paint matched and blended so the damage disappears.
- You collect it, pay any excess that is due, and you are back on the road.
The things people worry about
Excess: some policies add a higher excess for using a non-approved repairer. It is set by your insurer, so check your wording, and we will plan around it.
Courtesy car: a courtesy car usually comes from the insurer or their network, so it is worth checking what your policy offers before you decide.
Warranty and no-claims: a proper repair should not affect a manufacturer warranty, and your no-claims is driven by who was at fault, not by the garage you pick.
Ready to go ahead? Take a look at our accident and collision repair and insurance repairs pages, or send us a few photos for a quote.